FOREWORD BY LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA AND LUIS A. MIRANDA, JR.
The true story of how a group of chefs fed hundreds of thousands of
hungry Americans after Hurricane Maria and touched the hearts of many
more
Chef José Andrés arrived in Puerto Rico four days after Hurricane Maria
ripped through the island. The economy was destroyed and for most people
there was no clean water, no food, no power, no gas, and no way to
communicate with the outside world.
Andrés addressed the humanitarian crisis the only way he knew how: by
feeding people, one hot meal at a time. From serving sancocho with his
friend José Enrique at Enrique's ravaged restaurant in San Juan to
eventually cooking 100,000 meals a day at more than a dozen kitchens
across the island, Andrés and his team fed hundreds of thousands of
people, including with massive paellas made to serve thousands of people
alone.. At the same time, they also confronted a crisis with deep roots,
as well as the broken and wasteful system that helps keep some of the
biggest charities and NGOs in business.
Based on Andrés's insider's take as well as on meetings, messages, and
conversations he had while in Puerto Rico, We Fed an Island movingly
describes how a network of community kitchens activated real change and
tells an extraordinary story of hope in the face of disasters both
natural and man-made, offering suggestions for how to address a crisis
like this in the future.
Beyond that, a portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to
the Chef Relief Network of World Central Kitchen for efforts in Puerto
Rico and beyond.
